Global launch of A Call to Action: The Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing
A call to action: the global launch of the second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing will take place as an official side event to the World Health Assembly 2025.Â
đź“… Date: Wednesday, May 21st, 2025
⏰ Time: 18:00 – 20:00 CEST
đź“Ť Location: President Wilson Hotel Ballroom, Geneva
The investments made in this generation of adolescents will determine our human and planetary futures, for good or for ill. The time to act is now.
Background
The second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing focuses on required actions to transform adolescent health and wellbeing. It will provide an evidence-based guide to act now and in the post SDG era. Building on the 2016 Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing which catalysed interest in adolescent health globally, this Commission proposes an expanded conceptual framework for actions, defines an expanded set of indicators to ensure accountable action, and presents substantial original research that support a wide range of specific cross-sectoral actions at global, regional, country and local level. It ultimately aims to catalyse progress in adolescent health and wellbeing in today’s rapidly changing world. Â
Agenda
Welcome and opening remarks
Event moderators: Femi Oke and Dr Prerna Banati
Speakers:Â
- Dr Richard Horton, Lancet Editor in ChiefÂ
- Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director GeneralÂ
- Ms Andrea Studer, Botnar CEOÂ
Presentation of Commission findings
Speakers:
- Prof Sarah Baird, Lancet Commission Chair, George Washington University
- Dr Shakira Choonara, Lancet Youth Commissioner
Video presentation
Dr Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, UN Secretary General’s Office
Round table youth segment: meaningful engagement
Moderator: Dr David Imbago-Jácome, Youth Commissioner, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
- Ms Nikita Ghodke, Youth Advocate
- Ms Surabhi Dogra, Youth Commissioner
- Ms Luo Li, Youth Commissioner
- Ms Augustina Mensa-Kwao, Youth Commissioner
High level panel: priority actions for adolescent health and wellbeing
Moderator: Femi Oke
- Ministry of Health Sierra Leone, HE Dr Austin Demby
- Ministry of Health Ethiopia, Dr Mebratu Massebo Cherinet, Chief of Staff
- Director General of The Public Health Agency of Sweden, Ms Olivia Wigzell
- Rt Honourable Helen Clark, PMNCH Board Chair
Invited reactions and interventions
- Dr Yasmin Haque, UNICEF Director of Health
- Ms Jen Kidwell-Drake, Director and Women’s Health lead at Gates Ventures – Exemplars for Global Health
- Ms Marionka Pohl, Save the Children Global Head of Health Policy and Advocacy
- Dr Maria del Carmen Calle, International Association for Adolescent Health (IAAH) President-elect
- Dr Flavia Bustreo, Lancet Commission Chair on Gender Based violence and Maltreatment of young people
Closing and thanks
- Dr Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-GeneralÂ
- Dr Sabine Kleinert, Lancet Deputy Editor
Please join us in promoting the launch event on your channels.
Launch countdown
The report, A call to action: the second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and wellbeing is based on research funded in part by the Gates Foundation, Exemplars in Global Health and the FIA Foundation to the World Resources Institute for their work on road safety.Â
This launch event has been funded by Exemplars in Global Health, Fondation Botnar, Gates Foundation, and has been supported in kind by WHO.
Any funds received directly support the work of the Commission and do not go to The Lancet Group.
The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect institutional positions.
With thanks
Supported by
